Write an Awesome Interview Thank You Note

A well-crafted interview thank you note could be the tie-breaker that sets you apart from your competition and helps you get the job. If you’re even remotely interested in the position, I strongly recommend sending a note. While it’s standard interview advice, most applicants still skip this step for some reason. Here are a few things to keep in mind while you’re crafting a note to the interview team.

Keep it Professional

When you are crafting a thank you note, it might feel like you’ve made a great connection with the hiring manager and it’s okay to let down your guard a little bit. Keep in mind that this person isn’t your friend, and they aren’t even your boss yet, so maintain the tone professional and make sure you do everything possible to eliminate spelling and grammar errors. One of my favorite tools to check myself is Grammarly. They offer both a free and a paid version, and they tend to catch a lot more errors than traditional spell check does. Take the time to read it over before you send it, and make sure you’ve spelled the person’s name right. Using too casual of a tone and errors are both turn off’s for a potential employer.

Personalize it

Sending a personalized note will help you stand out to the interview panel.

You can find form thank you note templates all over the internet, but some of the most memorable letters I have received from candidates were personalized. They spoke directly to me and mentioned specifics that I either did or discussed that they appreciated it. These thank you notes showed me that the candidate was paying close attention to what was happening in the interview and they felt much more genuine.

Granted, individualized thank you notes to everyone on an interview panel can be tricky. Getting everyone’s email addresses from the team can be hard. First, try asking for their business cards at the end of the interview. It’s okay to tell them that you want to follow-up with a thank-you note, provided you be sure to do so.

If you can’t get the emails of everyone on the panel to send them each a personalized thank you note, send one overall thank you to the team. It’s okay to include brief messages to each panel member and ask you contact, either the recruiter or hiring manager to pass the note along.

Send it within 24 hours

In my experience, 95% of the thank you notes I have received from candidates were via email. While email is a bit less informal than a handwritten note, it is much faster than sending it through the mail.

When you’re sending a thank you note, speed is important. Make every effort to send the email within 24 hours of the conversation. Once managers are at the interview stage in the hiring process, they’re looking to move quickly. They’ll make a decision soon after the last candidate, leaving a short window to influence their decision.

To make things easier on yourself, start writing the thank-you note before your interview. By having it written ahead of time, you’re not starting with a blank slate. You can fill in the specific details afterward and send it off quickly. Just make sure to proofread it very carefully before you send it off.

Ask for Feedback

If you don’t take the time to ask for feedback on the interview thank you note, you’re missing a tremendous opportunity. First of all, when you ask for feedback, it shows the hiring manager that not only are you open to constructive feedback, but you seek it out. Know that in a lot of cases employers have pretty explicit policies about providing feedback, but that shouldn’t stop you from asking. Without asking, you won’t have any information on improvement.

The Sample Interview Thank You Note

Subject: Thank you

Hello [manager name]

Thank you for taking the time to interview me for [position]. I appreciate the chance to learn more about [your company/this job etc.], and I’m excited about the opportunity to join the team. Thank you for taking the time to [insert specifics here] It helped [provide more clarity/put me at ease/etc.]

You mentioned that one of the challenges for this role was XYZ. I am confident that with my previous experience in ABC, I’d be able to [develop a strategy/work towards a solution/etc.].

Regardless of the outcome of the interview, I would appreciate any feedback you would be willing to provide so I can continue to improve my skills. Thank you again for your time and please let me know if you have any other questions or need any more information from me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.